Robbery in Sterling Heights resulted in brief lockdown at Warren schools
A robbery in Sterling Heights Thursday resulted in a lockdown at nearby schools, the Warren Consolidated Schools in Michigan reported.
The robbery happened Thursday morning at the Credit Union One branch on 15 Mile Road, next door to Carleton Middle School, in Macomb County. A man passed a note to the teller, she gave him cash and he ran off, the Sterling Heights Police Department reported. It was unclear if he had a weapon.
Because of the situation, the Sterling Heights Police Department recommended that nearby schools go into a "secure lockdown" mode, which allows classes to continue behind locked doors, but no one is allowed to enter or leave the building.
The district placed Carleton Middle School, Willow Woods Elementary, the Career Prep Center and Sterling Heights into secure lockdown mode for about an hour, according to the letter written to the school community and posted on social media. At that point, police gave clearance to resume normal operations.
"At no time was there an immediate threat to our schools, the secure lockdown was put in place out of an abundance of caution," Superintendent John C. Bernia said in his letter. "I want to thank the Sterling Heights Police Department for their efforts to maintain our safety. In addition, I want to compliment our students and staff for following our established procedures."